A US House bill to deschedule marijuana and allow expungements has gained its 87 sponsor.
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act would remove marijuana as a federal controlled substance, decriminalizing it nationwide. Yesterday, Congressmembers Steve Jorsford (D-NV) joined as a sponsor for the MORE Act, bringing the total to 87. When the measure was filed it had 34 sponsors.
The only other marijuana-related bill in US Congress with more sponsors is the SAFE Banking Act with 104.
In addition to descheduling marijuana, the MORE Act place a 5% federal excise tax on marijuana sales in states where its legal for the first two years, with it increasing to 8% by the fifth year. It would also allow those with marijuana convictions to have them expunged from their record, while protecting marijuana users from being denied public benefits.
Representative Nadler has described the MORE Act as “one of the most comprehensive marijuana reform bills ever introduced in the U.S. Congress”, which “aims to correct the historical injustices of failed drug policies that have disproportionately impacted communities of color and low-income communities by requiring resentencing and expungement of prior convictions.”
You can find the full text of the MORE Act by clicking here.
For a look at the six marijuana and kratom bills in the US Congress most likely to be enacted into law, click here. For a list of the four states on track to legalize marijuana this year, click here.
